Free Patterns

Who doesn’t love a baby in a handmade costume?? I designed this Baby Butterfly Costume for The Hook Nook Life blog, and now I’m so excited to be able to share it here with you!

This outfit shares the same onesie and hat base as the Baby Bat Costume that I released last year, and now I’m really wanting to create more baby costumes. If you’re a knitter as well, you might be interested in the Baby Kitty Costume. Babies are just SO cute in these!

This little model is my youngest son’s best friend (if you are new here – hi! – I have four little boys under age 10 so no girls to model for me!). She and my guy love hanging out and we had a blast getting these pictures. He is off running around in the background and I was trying to get shots without him in them!

You will need to do some seaming for this costume, as well as sew in some snap tape (you can get it at any local craft store, usually near the elastic and they sell it by the yard). It’s not hard, though!

The front and back are crocheted flat, then seamed at the sides and the snap tape goes in the crotch and shoulders. You could also do buttons if you don’t want to do snap tape.

When Clover approached me with the idea of using the Mini Weaving Loom in a project, I was intrigued. I’ve taught fashion design at the high school level for several years and we always do a small weaving project.

The challenge was thinking outside the box and not making the same things I’d seen before: wall hangings, coasters, simple scarves made with several strips. What could I make that was different?

It took some time of thinking it over to decide on a fall-themed project that most people love: pumpkins! If you can make a pumpkin from a rectangle of purchased fabric, why couldn’t you make one from a rectangle of fabric you wove yourself?

Turns out, it works out perfectly!! I really love how these turned out and we enjoyed experimenting with different yarns. I say we because three different people wove pumpkins in my house: myself, my husband, and Christian (my 9-year-old son who does the Yarn Crafts for Kids videos on my YouTube channel).

Top these off with an inexpensive cinnamon stick and you have a perfect fall project that you can create yourself – even if you can’t knit or crochet! The Clover Mini Weaving Loom is so easy to use that kiddos can use it to make these, too!

Notions: Yarn Needle, Fiberfill for stuffing, hot glue gun and sticks, cinnamon sticks (check out these inexpensive ones)(Optional – throw some fall spices in with the fiberfill for extra yumminess!)

How to Use the Loom

**Please use the video tutorial above if you have any questions about these steps.

Step One:Set up the warpTie a knot at the bottom right corner of the loom. With the yarn secured with a knot to the loom, pull the yarn from the back of the loom to the lower groove and wind it up to the upper groove following the direction of the arrows. To finish, secure the yarn with a knot on the back of the loom at the top left.

Step Two: Wind the weftHold the end of the yarn and wind the yarn in a figure eight-motion so that the amount of yarn on the right and left sides are the same. At the end, wind the yarn around the center, too. Total thickness should not exceed 3/4″.

Step Three: Set up the shed stickPass the shed stick through the even numbered strands of the warp yarn. This will help pass the shuttle back through the loom.

Step Four: Begin WeavingWith the shuttle, scoop the odd-numbered strands of warp yarn and pass it through them. Be sure to leave a long tail for gathering the bottom of the pumpkin.

When making the first row, create an arch shape and use the weaving comb to pull the weft yarn towards you to the bottom of the loom.

Turn the shed stick upright to separate the even numbered strands of the warp yarn. Pass the shuttle through the shed of the warp.

After each pass, use the weaving comb to pull the weft yarn towards you to the bottom of the loom.

Step Five: Remove shed stick when it gets difficult to pass the shuttle throughStill use the shuttle for weaving, but remove the shed stick when it gets in the way.

Step Six: Use the needle for the last rowsWhen it becomes difficult to pass the shuttle through because you are close to the top, unwind the yarn from the shuttle, thread the needle that comes with the loom, and continue weaving with the needle.

Step Seven: Remove the woven piece from the loomYou can do this by removing the spacing bars, or you can do what I like to do and pull off each loop when making the last row.

Step Eight: Even out the yarnsUse the comb to even out your weave.

Step Nine: Sew the side edges togetherUse the mattress stitch to sew the side edges together, creating an enclosed tube of fabric.

Step Ten: Gather and stuffUse the yarn tail left from the beginning or end of the weave and pull tightly to close. Use the yarn needle to secure the end. Stuff tightly with fiberfill. Put in spices if using. Gather top the same way as bottom.

Step Ten: Attach the stemUse a hot glue gun to attach a small piece of cinnamon stick to the top of the pumpkin. Use whichever side you like best for the top.

These work so wonderfully for place settings and decorations around the house! I love how they all turned out and I plan on making more of these (or having Christian make some! haha) so we can be ready for fall!

You know fall is coming when the beanie patterns start coming out in earnest. I enjoy the summer (especially since I’m a teacher and have summer off!), but I really love fall. I created the Cumulus Slouch to wear in the cooler months.

We went on vacation in March of this year to Gatlinburg, TN – one of our favorite family destinations. While we were there we visited the Smoky Mountain Spinnery (my new favorite thing is to visit a LYS in the area when we are on vacation and pick up a yarn to create something I can wear to remember the trip!).

I fell in love with this Cumulus Dappled from Juniper Moon Farms. It’s 100% Israeli Cotton and it is heavenly. I picked up a skein each of two colorways and wish they had more in this color because I would have bought it all!

I decided to create a slouchy hat since the skein had generous yardage and I wanted to show of the color changes. I made this hat and a cabled headband from a single skein!

After making the Unicorn Backpack a while ago for a friend, the boys have really been wanting me to design some backpacks that they would like. (Not that boys can’t like unicorns, but mine don’t!) So, I decided to create a tutorial for how to crochet a fire truck backpack. I love the way it turned out!

My boys are into vehicles and always have been. Only the youngest is showing signs of being an animal lover like me. They have all gone through spells where they like one type of vehicle more than another, but fire trucks have always been a favorite around here.

When I decided to join the E’Claire Makery Back to School Blog Hop, I knew I needed a fun backpack design and almost made another animal pack, but I decided to go with something my boys would love (and now they are fighting over it!).

There is absolutely NO shaping to this bag, so if you can single crochet a basic rectangle, you can make this backpack! I will show you step by step how to crochet a fire truck backpack. I even made a video tutorial to walk you through it. 🙂

Do you ever go on a crochet binge and just keep making a lot of the same type of project over and over? I do that a lot and lately my binge has been baby blankets! I hope you enjoy blankets, because the Lilac Meadows Baby Blanket is one of my favorites.

There is something so sweet about crochet baby blankets. I love the way they feel and the Lion Brand Yarn Feels Like Butta is amazing for baby makes! I’ve made a couple of baby sweaters, hats and mittens with it and it is a wonderful yarn for babies.

The colors of Feels Like Butta are so wonderful for babies, too. I chose this Lilac and White combo and am so happy with how it has turned out. I’m already planning another blanket with this yarn (although different colors and stitch!).

What about you? Do you love baby blankets or find them boring? I’ve talked to people in both camps. I used to be in the “boring” camp but now I love them because I can take him in the car when I’m riding or watch Netflix and have a project that is so easy to put down and pick back up.

I always have multiple projects going, anyways, so it’s nice to have one that is relaxing and easy with no shaping or complicated row and stitch counts.

I hope you enjoy this free crochet pattern for the Lilac Meadows Baby Blanket!

Round 3: Slip st into ch-1 space of corner, ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in same space, *skip next sc, sc in next st, skip next sc, 5 dc in next sc; repeat from * around, working ch 5 shell in each corner. End 2 dc in same ch-1 space as beginning, join with slip st to ch-3; do not turn.

Change to MC.

Round 4: Ch 3, skip next dc, sc in next dc, *ch 3, skip sc, sc in next dc, ch 3, skip next dc, sc in next dc, ch 3, skip next dc, sc in next dc; repeat from * around, making sure you are working into the first, third, and fifth dc of each shell with a ch-3 in between. Join to first st with slip st.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

That’s it! This blanket turned out so well and the sedge stitch was just perfect for this yarn. I hope you will give it a try!